Tales From Lake Okina Sakana: Kankuro and Tsume
by Episcopal Percussionist
Summary: My first in a series of extended one-shots. The first: Kankuro and Tsume. Yes, you heard me correctly . There aren't enough stories of the two of them. TsuKank, with some TemaChou.


He always _loved_ coming here. Although he never admitted it, Gaara and Temari knew it as well.

The Lake.

What a place.

It was dead center between Suna and Konoha, and even in the summer, it never attracted tourists, much to Kankuro's delight; only locals came. Some to fish, many to swim. When he stood at the water's edge, the sky and water were one, stretching for many a mile. It wasn't too big. It wasn't too small. It was just right for a certain Kankuro.

888

As the pulled up to the dirt parking lot, Temari was clinging to the door, both being ready to jump out of the truck and to brace herself, should Kankuro crash. _Shoulda waited another year before he got a permit_ she thought to herself. Kankuro stopped the truck, turned off the ignition, and looked both at Temari beside her, and at the rear-view mirror, with Gaara in the back, glaring right back him.

"Well, here we are!" Kankuro breathed.

"..."

"...

"Indeed...", mumbled Gaara, turing to open the door to his right. They all got out, Gaara trudging to the trail that led to the beach, Temari, rushing out in her two-piece (which Kankuro did _not_ approve of) to get the towels and their two large floaties that they had brought along, and Kankuro breathing in that maple air, as his sandals hit the dusty earth. There weren't many, if any maple trees in Suna. _As a matter of fact_, Kankuro mused, _There aren't really any trees at all in Suna_. Ah, but in Konoha, there were so many trees everywhere; it was a treat for the him, and no one knew it better than himself. He helped his sister with the floaties, and followed his siblings out on the trail.

The trail wasn't that long, only about 600 meters or so. However, it was pretty wide, so there were usually a couple of families walking along it at once, either leaving with satisfaction, or entering with walked, Gaara ahead of Temari and Kankuro.

"He's really happy, y'know", she whispered to Kankuro as they walked.

"I know. He ain't the only one."

"Yeah. ... If only dad didn't-"

"Hush. For all of today, we can forget all about the old bastard, alright?"

"...ok."

He turned to smile at her, and she returned the smile. One of the reasons why she loved going to this lake was because Kankuro never wore his stupid Bunraku paint; he was always self-conscience about his face. _It's a handsome face_, she thought to herself, smiling back at him. _Everyone else knows, if only he did_.

The shade disappeared, and the trail ended. There, in front of them, stretched the beach and miraculous waters. The sun was shining. The birds was soaring. The was a good amount of people.

It was time to have fun.

Kankuro tore off his t-shirt, kicked off his sandals, and charged into the water, being sprayed by the clear fresh water.

"YYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAW!" He screamed.

Temari, somewhat embarrassed, sighed to herself, and began to set up camp, trying to find a shady area beneath an overhanging tree. Gaara pattered to the water's edge, dipped his toe in it, shivered slightly, and proceeded to walk in, clothes and sneakers still on.

"I swear," Kankuro muttered, "he's the only kid on this whole damn planet that does that."

Gaara kept on walking, as though unaware of the water, until he was just under his mouth.

"This is good."

At theat, he proceeded to stand there, still as a statue.

888

It was like this for about half-an-hour, Temari sunbathing (enjoying the gawks she received from many of the young men), Kankuro breast-stroking far out into the center of the lake and back again (pathetically attempting to get gawks from the young women), and Gaara... standing there (he couldn't care less). Soon, however, Kankuro tuckered himself out, and got out of the water. He trudged over to Temari, looking scornfully at the tree that Temari was under, and picked up one of the towels, wiping his face.

"Y'know, you should get some sun. Vitamin D and all that."

"Tell you what, how 'bout you get on back out there, leave me be with my tree and Charlene Harris, and get enough sun for the both of us, hmmm?"

"...Hmph. Any of these guys around here messing with ya? 'Cuz if they are-"

"Don't worry, I'm only getting some gazes, that's all."

"What!"

"Kiddin'." (She was lying.) "Have you put on some sunscreen?"

"Yup, no need to worry." (So was he.) You remembered to put some on Gaara, right?"

"Yep. Could you move him in a few minutes? The last time he stood like that, he almost got hypothermia. Plus, it's beginning to creep out some of the other people around here."

"Yeah, sure. But seriously, no guys messing with ya, right? Remember last time, with that one-eyed guy, with the white hair-"

"No. No guys have come near me. Though I kinda wish that that guy over there would..."

"Who? The pineapple kid?"

"No, silly, the other one. He's cute."

"The fat kid! HAHAHAHA!"

"Shut up! He's not fat! Chubby, a little, but otherwise muscular. He keeps on looking over here, why doesn't he come over! Arrgh! Men!"

"Chill, sis. Look, I'm going to wander down the beach. I'll be back eventually."

"Alright, don't get eaten by zombies."

"I'll try not to. See ya."

With that, the brown-haired Sunian took up his sandals, a towel, and went off, in search of... something. Of what, he wasn't sure, but he knew that it would be important, and there. Somewhere. On the way, he passed the two guys who had popped up in his conversation with his sister. They were sitting on two towels beside each other, one trying to sleep under an umbrella, the other eating a hamburger and looking out at the water, smiling. Kankuro paused behind him, waiting for him to notice his prensence. After realizing that he would not be noticed (he wasn't as intimidating as he thought), he gently kicked some sand upon the large boy's back. The boy turned around, and promptly stood up, facing him, though not the least bit tense.

"You," Kankuro began, "What's your name?"

"Uhh... Chouji."

"Well, Chouji, I'll be blunt, 'cuz that's best when it comes to these... affairs. You can stop stealing glances at my sister, and go. She is interested in you, got it?"

With this, the Akimichi turned as red as a tomato, both blushing and flustering.

"Uhh, o-ok?"

"Good. You seem like a gentleman, and that's why I came here to tell you of that. Are you a gentleman, Chouji?"

"Umm, Yes! Yes, definitely!"

"Good. Then I trust you with my sister. Try anything funny, and I'll bury you right where you stand, got it?"

"Err, y-y-es, yes."

"Good. Go forth, and have fun."

"Th-thank you!"

"You're welcome. Off you go."

At that, the auburn haired young man hesitantly began to walk over to Temari.

"And you," Kankuro directly his gaze to the boy lying beside where he stood, "You should thank me; now you have all afternoon to nap in peace."

"Hmph." The boy opened one eye, smirked, and then closed his eyes, resting.

"Heheh." At this, Kankuro set off to explore.

888

He didn't have a watch, nor his phone with him, so Kankuro couldn't tell how long he had been walking, but he had been walking for about half an hour, he expected. All around him, were families, all having a good time with each other; that's what was so great about this lake. The family. The families, even. Sunian culture wasn't based on tight-knit families, and the residents of Konoha were always busy, either in their shops or on a mission. But here, _It's a rest for everyone._ Kankuro mused, smiling to himself. As he was coming around a large bend in the beach, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going... and alked into a dog. A big, mean, rather ugly dog. The dog was lying down as Kankuro accidentally kicked sand in its face. The dog grunted, looked up, and much to Kankuro's surprise, was wearing an eyepatch on its right eye. Kankuro backed up a few steps, stared into the dog's eye, and muttered to himself,

"Who the hell puts an eyepatch on a dog?"

"Someone who comes upon the realization that the said dog is missing an eye, dumbass," The dog responded curtly, before huffing and laying its head back down in its paws.

"Kids these days..." it muttered.

Kankuro, in his 17 years of living, had experienced many strange things. He had seen titanic sandstorms with his own eyes. He had witnessed Gaara smile. He saw a double rainbow, without any rain. But never had he ever seen- or heard- a dog talk. Kankuro continued to stare wide-eyed, open-mouthed at the dog, the dog ignoring him completely.

A few moments went by, when he suddenly heard footsteps from the other side of the bend, coming toward him, trotting. The footsteps stopped. He turned his head up. And, if humanly possible, his eyes widened even further. He had found what he was looking for. He had found _who_ he was looking for.

888

This was exactly what Tsume Inuzuka had needed. While she dearly and fiercely loved her children, she could have used a break. Not a long one, just long enough to make her remember that she was not only a mother, but her own person as well. She confided this with her close friend Tsunade, the principal of Konoha High. It was a good thing she had, too. Kiba and Hana, being Drama Kids at heart, both were overjoyed when the Art Department had received a_ huge _loan from the school, and with minimal fundraising, the Drama Club was able to attend the week-long International Theater Festival were down in Mountagure, a southern city far away. Perfect.

And so Kiba and Hana had left, about five days ago. They would be back tomorrow evening. All that week, Tsume had been having a fabulous time. She got a professional manicure with her girlfriends (Tsunade included), had gone shopping, spent much-needed time with her beloved dog, Kuromaru, and had gone to some of the local bars and resturants, occasionally flirting, which she loved doing.

The night before, this flirting had brought up feelings and memories of nostalgia, as she had flirted a lot in her younger years. These memories had started a small chain reaction of memories, until she remembered... the lake. Lake Okina Sakana, meaning "Lake Large Fish", as the residents of Konoha had learned to call it. It was called this because there were rumors of a covert speices of large fish living in it, although this was only rumor. Still, Tsume loved this lake as a girl, and even as a young woman. With this, she decided to go tomorrow. As she walked through the front door of her house, up the rugged stairs, and into her room (a glint in her eye all the while), she went into her closet and pulled out her one piece. As she began giggling to herself, thinking of tomorrow, the giggles subsided, and she looked at the one piece with disgust. This wasn't a one piece.

"This is a Mom-Suit! Yuck!"

She couldn't wear this suit; it made her look old. She always wore it when at the beach with her kids, and this week, she was focusing on herself, and how _she_ wanted to look, not how her maternal instincts wanted her to look. Once more, thinking of swimsuits brought back memories, as thinking tends to do with all of us, and she remembered it: the ultimate Bikini. She remembered it now; black, with tight, yet slim, straps, and a cute bottom that would make the guys turn, without coming off as whorish. It had been years, though. The last time she had worn it was when... Keito was around. She always joked with her son about how she had scared him away, but, _That wasn't the case. Son of a bitch left me_, she thought, a frown beginning to form on her face. Still, she pushed that thought out of her mind quickly, before she had yet another break-down, and this week, _That ain't happening_.

She walked into her closet, opened a few plastic boxes, scrounging around, until she found it. She knocked it against her leg a few times, to get the dust and lint off it. She looked at it in the mirror. She then closed the door to her room (although she well knew that there wasn't anyone else in the house, a woman still needs her privacy when she's 39 and about to try on a bikini that she hadn't in over 18 years). She stripped off her jeans and newly-bought yellow blouse, her undergarments, and put on the swimsuit. She then sheepishly looked into the mirror, and her eyes immediately widened.

"Oh my God, it fits." She whispered.

"Oh my God, it fits!" She spoke.

"OH MY GOD, IT FITS! HAHAHAHA!" She howled, in total euphoria and disbelief. She had been going on long jogs and walks with Kuromaru for about two years, and even had picked up weight lifting again several months ago, and had certainly noticed results, but this...

"This is un-fucking-believable. What? 18 years? 19? And it still fits. ...Kuromaru! Get up here, will ya!" She called downstairs, whilst Kuromaru was trying to sleep.

"Hmph! Coming, ya old hag!" He got up, shook himself, and leisurely trotted upstairs, to the direction of her room.

"Honestly," He mumbled. "Can't a dog just rest in peace? Sheesh, next time, be more independent, ya old haAAAAAAAAH!" He had spotted her.

And then there was silence.

"Well," Tsume mumbled, "How do- how do I look?"

"Ma'am, I speak this true. You look splendid, and I wish that I had two eyes to gaze upon you-"

"Aww, well aren't you swee-"

"-and if I was physically attracted to you, or if you were a dog, I would want you to bear my pups."

And then there was an even longer silence.

"Umm... thank Kuromaru. You sure know what to say to a girl."

"You're certainly welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go back to sleep downstairs."

And with that, he trotted back downstairs, leaving a slightly disturbed Tsume.

"Well, I suppose it's settled. Looks like I'm wearing this tormorrow. Here's to a fun day at the beach."

888

And that's how we got where we are. Kuromaru was sleeping on the bend of the beach, sleeping under a jut of earth above him, catching some zzzz's and relaxing in the shade, Tsume walking around, catching many glances and even a few wolf whistles from some of the guys around, loving this feeling, when she went to meet back with Kuromaru, wanting to check on him. She got there as some (_rather __handsome_) young man stared at the dog. This indicated that he wasn't from around here, because almost everyone from Konoha knew of Kuromaru's ability to speak. Then he turned, and she and him made eye contact. _This could be interesting_, she mused, and smirked at the young man, turning her right leg to emphasize her left hip.

And that's where we are now, Dear Reader; A bemused Tsume, a bewildered Kankuro, and a very sleepy Kuromaru.


End file.
